At some point you have to accept the fact that you're only going to get a half to three-quarters of a loaf instead of a full loaf from Wetterling. But that's a lot more filling than the crumbs Bachmann is offering. Wetterling's education proposals may not be perfect. But isn't increasing access to education no matter how you do it better than the Bachmann way?
There's nothing misleading about this ad at all. It's perfectly legitimate to call the FAIR tax a tax increase on people with low- to middle incomes. It's the most regressive kind of tax there is. If you don't want "social engineering" through the tax code, then you should support the flat tax if you're being honest about it. And there's no attempt here to avoid discussing the tax system. You can't "discuss" the tax system in a tv spot anyway.
There has been plenty to criticize the Wetterling campaign to this point. But I wouldn't be complaining about Wetterling finally taking the gloves off in a substantial way and calling Bachmann on some of her lunacy. We should all be encouraging her to bring it on.
Karl 09.26.06 - 10:42 pm | #
The Republican Party has reaped mightily for the last twenty-six years on the "Tax and spend" liberal theme. So successful have they become at it that speaking of tax increases is taboo even when they become necessary as they are now. Yet in the same breath they will claim,like Michele Bachmann did on Almanac last Friday, that her idea of making the Bush tax cuts for wealthy Amercians permanent will in some occult way increase tax revenues. This is the Laffer curve baloney that Reagan believed in and that was proved absolutely wrong in the 1980s and again by Bush in the 2000's. It's the reason we are having unprecedented deficits and the reason for declining economic performance. It is financial mismanagement at the grand scale.
The tax deductions and credits --loopholes and tax shelters--which are the centerpiece of Bachmann, Bush and other Republican plans have no meachnism for recapturing the windfall profits from any of the investment schemes they promote and many of them promote nothing but disinvestment in America. The Bush tax cuts which Bachmann wants to continue will ensure growing deficits.
Patty Wetterling nails this idea of a national sales tax dead on. What she doesn;t mention is that the tax is doubly unfair because it forces the less wealthy to support the country's completely indefensible defense budget which is primarily for the benefit of the wealthy and the coupon clippers. It is the perfect mechanism for reverse distribution of wealth, from the poor to the wealthy.
jonerik
I'll agree that Wetterling should be calling Michele Bachmann on her wacked out plans and she should take the gloves off. I hope Wetterling's campaign also goes after Bachmann on her wacked out social agenda - the ASSS contributions, creationism taught in the public schools, her opposition to bullying prevention programs in the schools (because those protect gay students or students who may appear to be gay), and her obsession with gays at the expense of doing anything for her district.
I think the wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes. Part of the reason they don't is because the payroll tax drops when someone makes $90,000 or so per year.
Bachmann's claims that Wetterling is reversing the Bush tax cuts on lower incomes is nonsense when you look at the Wetterling plan.
I'm sure Wetterling's attack ad will be effective - because attack ads generally are. The photos of Bachmann nodding in the ad are rather creepy. I'm not sure where they got them. |
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